Without limiting the scope of the invention, its background is described in connection with DC vaccines.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,083,787 issued to Duke et al. (2006) discloses a vaccine that includes a dendritic cell loaded with a yeast vehicle and antigen. The Duke patent further describes methods of making the vaccine and using the vaccine to elicit cellular and humoral immune responses in a mammal. Additionally, a method to elicit an immune response by administration of a yeast vehicle and an antigen that is not complexed to the yeast vehicle is disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,348,015 issued to Lawman and Lawman (2008) describes methods for treating cancers, particularly tumorigenic types. Cancer cells are modified to express highly immunogenic antigens so that the cells will generate a defensive response in a mammal that exhibits the cancer or is predisposed to cancer and prevent or ameliorate proliferation of cancer cells. The novel cancer cell vaccines are expected to be effective against a wide range of tumors and leukemias.
Finally, U.S. Patent Application No. 20090010948 (Huang et al. 2009) discloses that reducing, inhibiting or preventing the expression of immunosuppressive cytokines or tolergenic agents in antigen presenting cells improves the ability of the antigen presenting cell to promote an immune response. In one embodiment the Huang invention provides a genetically engineered antigen presenting cell that has reduced or no expression of IL-10. Preferred antigen presenting cells are dendritic cells. Expression of IL-10 can be inhibited or blocked by genetically engineering the antigen presenting cell to express inhibitory nucleic acids that inhibit or prevent the expression mRNA encoding immunosuppressive cytokines. Inhibitory nucleic acids include siRNA, antisense RNA, antisense DNA, microRNA, and enzymatic nucleic acids that target mRNA encoding immunosuppressive cytokines. Immunosuppressive cytokines include, but are not limited to IL-10, TGF-β, IL-27, IL-35, or combinations thereof. Tolerogenic agents include but are not limited to indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase.